I’m an Indie Developer, and I Pre-Ordered a Steam Deck 64GB

For years, I’ve wanted to see a mainstream(-ish) handheld PC for gaming on the go. GPD Win and similar Chinese competitors have been paving the way, but their latest models have being putting top-of-the-line ultrabook specs inside, with a high price to match; a great technical feat, but off-putting for non-enthusiasts.

Well, after some sudden rumors of a “SteamPal” device a couple months ago, Valve has announced the “Steam Deck,” a mainstream handheld PC, with a starting price of only $399 USD. Like other hyped-up tech devices, the pre-order rules (starting July 16) were complicated, and it’s possible that the first shipment has already sold out. I was lucky and DID get a preorder in, after a few inconsistent error messages, so I’d recommend you keep trying before the gates open for non-Steam users, or else wait until 2022 when supply and demand naturally balance out, or for the eventual improved v2 model.

(And please don’t buy this on Ebay for a silly price, that makes things worse for everyone and it’s not worth it: you could buy a regular laptop with similar specs in the meantime.)

Anyway, there are different tiers for the “Steam Deck,” the cheapest one coming with only 64GB of old eMMC storage. Virtually everyone is saying to not buy that one (and instead to buy the next tier up for $529). But as a small indie game developer, the 64GB is perfect for me. This post will go over why I’m excited for the device, and why 64GB is OK for my intended purpose.

Steam is bringing portable PC gaming to the masses.

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How Communities Can Promote Their Indie Games

I’m fortunate to have known the strong indie developer presence in Michigan over the past few years. But passion and creativity aside, it remains a struggle for many of them to get noticed and make a living. My own view about whether or not it’s feasible to make a living off of your passionate hobby has solidified over the past decade, but even if it’s just the way things are for most people to not make money doing what they love… that doesn’t mean it’s right or the way it has to be forever.

Local communities have seen how hard it is, and are trying to elevate their groups, to bring more attention to the work their colleagues are doing. I’ve seen different ideas thrown around, and I have a few ideas of my own. My ideas are primarily from observing the mature “indie” scene in music, film and comics / books, which I think we could learn from. I thought I’d share a few of my ideas in detail below.

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Conclusions, Relief, and New Beginnings

After over 5 years of development, longing, and self-loathing, my 3rd indie game “True King (prototype) – Heir To The Resurrection” has released on May 3, 2021. It’s not complete, but released.

I’ve also re-released “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth” and “Unfinished – An Artist’s Lament” on Itch.io, now hosting all 3 projects. I’ve also just finished updating the websites for the 3 games, plus this main blog site, to convey the new links and information. On Itch, the game pages are collectively getting over 100 views on each of the two first days so far… even if it doesn’t correlate to sales, and even if the release of “True King” is false, it feels good to see this. I feel like “I’m back in the game,” if only temporarily.

The past couple of weeks also saw the conclusion of multiple long-term projects in my real full-time job. Later this week, I’ll get the 2nd vaccine, and will join a community that slowly comes together again. In a few months, I plan to upgrade my 8-years-old development PC, and begin work on new projects and ideas. And I’m cautiously hopeful that the Canada border will reopen any month now, as I slowly make future plans for this time next year.

“True King” still has work to do. I’ll do my best for a couple months longer. Or I might not. But for now, I rest. A rest I’ve long looked forward to, entering into a season of many restorations for my soul, hopefully recharging me for new ambitions by the Fall. Those ambitions will have to wait… for now, I rest…

 

“True King” 2021 Release FAQ

This is a FAQ (“Frequently Asked Questions”… even though no one has actually asked these questions yet) for the release of “True King (prototype) – Heir To The Resurrection” on May 3, 2021. It explains the state of the game, where it is releasing, and decisions about the release strategy.

The game can be downloaded from itch.io at the following link: https://dust-scratch-games.itch.io/

New Title and Logo

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GLGX 2021 – A New, Online Video Game Convention from Michigan

About a year ago, I posted about an attempt to run a gaming event in Michigan. It was canceled at the last minute, but it’s trying again this year as GLGX” (Great Lakes Game Expo) on February 18 – 21, 2021. And it’s online only, so it won’t be canceled! Nothing stops the Internet!

GLGX Event Logo. Post it everywhere!

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